A guided U.S. missile cruiser shot at a U.S. fighter jet early Sunday in what appears to be friendly fire, injuring a crew member and sparking an investigation, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) told the Daily Caller.
“Two U.S. Navy pilots ejected safely over the Red Sea during the early morning hours of December 22 when their F/A-18 fighter aircraft was shot down in an apparent case of friendly fire,” CENTCOM said.
One of the crew members sustained minor injuries, and a full investigation is ongoing, according to CENTCOM.
The fighter jet was taking off from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) when the USS Gettysburg (CG 64) — part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group — fired on the jet by mistake, CENTCOM added.
CENTCOM also said the incident did not result from enemy fire. The incident followed precision airstrikes that CENTCOM said its forces carried out Saturday against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility run by Iran-backed Houthis within Houthi-controlled territory in Sana’a, Yemen. (RELATED: US Hammers Underground Houthi Weapons Sites In Yemen With Airstrikes)
CENTCOM also reportedly shot down several drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea during the Saturday strikes.
The strikes were responses to attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden, CENTCOM added.
CENTCOM said it reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to protect U.S. and allied forces, regional partners, and international shipping and to “disrupt and degrade Houthi operations” through the strikes.
CENTCOM Conducts Airstrikes Against Iran-Backed Houthi Missile Storage and Command/Control Facilities in Yemen
TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by… pic.twitter.com/YRWWQJIweP
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 21, 2024
The apparent friendly fire incident adds to a string of internal challenges U.S. forces have faced within the past year. Two U.S. Navy SEALs Christopher Chambers and Nathan Gage Ingram drowned off the coast of Somalia during an operation to interdict a weapons-laden ship for the Houthis back in January — deaths that, according to a military investigation concluded in October, were preventable and due to training, policy, and operational “deficiencies, gaps and inconsistencies.”
An amphibious assault vessel, the USS Boxer, suffered months-long delays before being deployed early April, prompting a “deep dive” investigation into readiness and maintenance issues.
Additionally, the Navy has struggled meeting recruitment targets, and has begun to accept potential recruits who lack high school diplomas.
This article was originally published at dailycaller.com
